Cooperation

The aim of this project is to establish a collaboration for Responsive Release Materials that will focus and enhance the collaboration between the Leibniz Institute for New Materials (INM) and the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication (MCN) in Australia.

Nanomaterials can enhance the delivery of therapeutics to diseased tissues or cells, for example if their size and shape are suitable for cell internalization, or via their large specific surface area. Here, we combine this principle with the ability of gold nanoparticles to be heated at a distance with electromagnetic radiation. The resulting heat can be exploited to kill pathogens or cancer cells, or make them more susceptible to conventional drug treatment. Gold nanoparticles will be integrated into larger porous silicon particles in order to design multi-stage drug delivery platforms. The program leverages complementary expertise in bottom-up materials synthesis at the INM and cutting-edge nanofabrication techniques available at the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication.